Picking the 2019-20 champion in prep school hockey was a lot easier than determining the rest of the field for the Stuart/Corkery Elite 8 Tournament.
While Kimball Union lost some key pieces, it’s not going out on a limb by suggesting the Wildcats will make it four straight come March. It’s also more probable than not that Salisbury will once again be the biggest hurdle standing in the way of Tim Whitehead’s team.
After that, the field is wide open. Many of the usual suspects will be in the mix for a coveted spot in the Elite 8, but there are a few outsiders looking to push down the door. A few other schools might not be ready for primetime, but are ready to make some noise.
Preseason Rankings
1. Kimball Union
The Wildcats will be led once again by senior center Tomas Mazura, a Providence commit and Edmonton Oilers draft pick. The Pardubice, Czech Republic, native had 14 goals and 40 assists in 37 games last winter. His linemates from last season, Sullivan Mack and Zach Whitehead are both back, but could be replaced. ’04 Adam Fantilli, the projected number one overall pick in the OHL Draft, joins the fray in Meriden. The three key losses up front are Boston University commit Brian Carrabes (North Andover, Mass.), Ohio State commit Arlo Merritt, and Drew Bennett.
The defense lost four key pieces, including Cornell commit Kyle Penney. Back to lead the way is Teddy Griffin (Duxbury, Mass.). The senior is a steadying presence and should be highly sought after by NESCAC schools. ’03 Conner Chalmers (Windham, N.H.) should get more ice time and newcomers Luca Fantilli and Brown commit Nick Bernardo will log lots of minutes.
In goal, Veeti Kohvakka returns and will be backed up by Arizona State commit Zakari Brice.
There’s not many programs that could lose four Division I commits and still be considered the favorite, but that’s just what the Wildcats have done entering 2019-20.
2. Salisbury
The Crimson Knights were hit hard by early departures to junior hockey, losing Michael Cameron (UMass), Nick Capone (East Haven, Conn./UConn), Matt Coronato (Harvard), Justin Hryckowian (Northeastern), and Ilya Usau.
Both top six centers, Vermont commit Lucas Mercuri and Quinnipiac commit Jacob Quillan are back. Holy Cross commit Matt DeBoer has taken a step and Providence recruit Cole Vallese will be counted on in more of an offensive role. New forwards of note are George Vamvakaris, Cole Eichler and Samuel Deckhut.
The defense will be anchored by Yale commit Bayard Hall, Penn State commit Jarod Crespo and Bobby Metz. New additions on the blue line of Calum Chau and Tye Scott will help.
Returning starter Nick Haas will be pushed by ‘03 Max Donoso, a highly touted Canadian.
3. Dexter
Danny Donato’s team was hit hard by graduation and departures to junior hockey, losing top scorer John Farinacci, top defenseman Ben Meehan (Walpole, Mass.) and starting goaltender Derek Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.).
Up front, the top returners are Aidan Connolly (Marshfield, Mass.), Ben Raymond (Newton, Mass.), Culin Wilson (Hingham, Mass.), Vincent Gould (Wellesley, Mass.) and Doug Grimes (Brookline, Mass.). Matt Copponi (Mansfield, Mass.) and Bobby Landry (Hingham, Mass.) are both impact additions.
On defense, the team will be led by four key returners: Harvard commit John Fusco (Westwood, Mass.), UMass commit Mikey Adamson (Quincy, Mass.), Patrick Morrissey (Canton, Mass.), and Matt Fusco (Westwood, Mass.). Freshman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) and sophomore Jake Mullahy (Scituate, Mass.) will be groomed for the future.
Hoping to fill Mullahy’s shoes is Dylan Silverstein, one of the top ’04 goaltenders in the entire country. The Calabasas, Calif., native made the USA Hockey roster for the Youth Olympic Games later this winter.
4. Lawrence
The Spartans have to move on without Northeastern commit Sam Colangelo (Stoneham, Mass.), Boston University commit Braden Doyle (Lynnfield, Mass.), and Providence commit Tyler Young (Southboro, Mass.).
Providence commit Riley Duran (Woburn, Mass.) and New Hampshire commit David Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) are back and will be joined by another Friar recruit in Blake Humphrey.
The backend will be the strength of the team as Brandon Milberg is back between the pipes. Protecting him is one of the best and deepest defensive groups in prep hockey. Matt Connor (Amherst, N.H.), Kyle Furey (Marblehead, Mass.) return, but the newcomers will have a significant impact. Leading the way there is Providence commit Cole Teleki, but Damien Carfagna and Mack Oliphant will also be strong players.
5. Tilton
The Rams don’t have the household names that the top four teams do, but Brooke McQuade’s team is old and deep. First line center Jack Seymour and top defenseman Jagger Benson (Lynnfield, Mass.) both return from last year’s team that won the Piatelli/Simmons Small School Championship.
Other notable returners are forwards Tae Lee, James Cates, goaltender Justin Lee and defenseman Brett Lockhart (Braintree, Mass.).
Tilton has a solid group of post grads who have already proven themselves at the MIAA ranks. Mike Tersoni (Framingham, Mass.), Max Pineo (North Reading, Mass.), Jon Tavella (East Longmeadow, Mass.) and Max Cocchi (Ludlow, Mass.) will bolster a strong lineup.
6. Loomis Chaffee
If I didn’t go off the grid enough with my Tilton pick, here’s another team that could surprise in 2019-20. The Pelicans have seven Division I commits and are a veteran group.
Up front, the team will be led by senior and Dartmouth commit Cody Hoban (Guilford, Conn.), fellow Big Green recruit Alex Krause and Vermont commit Anthony Cipollone. All three are returners. Newcomer Oliver Flynn (Wolcott, Conn.) is a UConn commit and is coming off a strong summer.
On the blue line, UMass recruit Kennedy O’Connor (Springfield, Mass.) will lead the way with his steadying presence. Dartmouth commit Ben Ritter, Charlie Andriole (Branford, Conn.) and Jan Olenginski bring mobility to the blue line.
Holy Cross commit Kyle Chauvette (New Boston, N.H.) is back and primed for a big season.
7. Avon Old Farms
The Winged Beavers lost Tyler Boucher to the NTDP, but return a bunch of talented players, led by Penn State commit Drew Tsakounis on defense and UConn commit Tabor Heaslip and New Hampshire commit JP Turner (Falmouth, Mass.) up front. Conor Callaghan appears ready to take over in net.
Boston College commits Paul Davey (Greenwich, Conn.) and Charlie Leddy (Fairfield, Conn.) and Yale commit Jason Marsella (Greenwich, Conn.) are the three key newcomers.
There's also quite a bit of solid depth and secondary scoring options.
8. St. Sebastian’s
The Arrows lost Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick Liam Gorman (Arlington, Mass.) to Princeton, Northeastern commit Jack Hughes (Westwood, Mass.) to the NTDP, Montreal Canadiens pick Jayden Struble (Cumberland, R.I.) to Northeastern, New Hampshire commit Liam Devlin (Needham, Mass.) to the USHL, and Harvard commit Tommy Lyons (Westwood, Mass.) and Brown commit James Davenport (Natick, Mass.) to the BCHL.
That’s a lot to overcome, but Sean McCann’s group still has plenty of talent. Leading the way up front if Boston College commit Tim Delay (Hingham, Mass.) and Boston University commit Liam Connors (Westboro, Mass.). Forwards Brendan Gorman (Arlington, Mass.), Michael Cataldo (Norfolk, Mass.) and Michael Callow (South Boston, Mass.) are three youngsters to keep an eye on. A couple veterans of note are BC commit Connor Joyce (Dedham, Mass.) and Brendan Dumas (North Attleboro, Mass.)
The defense will be solid, led by veterans Ryan MacDermott (Hanover, Mass.) and Thomas Messineo (Westwood, Mass.) The top returning defenseman is Will Elias (Weston, Mass.) who played big minutes as a rookie in 2018-19. Nolan Joyce (Dedham, Mass.) has taken a huge step and should play a significant role.
How much Luke Garrity (Duxbury, Mass.) has improved over the off-season could play a pivotal role in how well the Arrows do this season.
9. Cushing
The Penguins are led up front by Army West Point commit Jake Hewitt (Ashburnham, Mass.), Jacob Banks (Westminster, Mass.), Boston College commit Billy Norcross (Lynn, Mass.), Connor Wood (St. Albans, Vt.) and Maine commit Max Bogdanovich (Scarborough, Maine). Freshman Cam Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.) and junior Nick Rheaume are two solid additions to the forward group.
Defensively, Cushing will be led by Boston College commit Lukas Gustafsson and Jackson Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.). Colorado College commit Owen Paskowski (Plymouth, Mass.) and Nolan Hayes (Milton, Mass.) are two key newcomers on the blue line. Two returners who are ready for more ice time are Cody Sealey (Worcester, Mass.) and Tim Kippenberger (Wilmington, Mass.).
Rio Kauffman returns in goal, looking to replace Joe Sharib (Natick, Mass.) who is now in the USHL. However, look for Jackson Irving (Newbury, Mass.) to become the starter once he fully transitions to prep hockey.
10. Gunnery
This isn’t as deep of a Gunnery team as in years past, but Craig Badger’s group has the talent to make a run at the Elite 8. Right wing Alex Jefferies (Lunenburg, Mass.), a Merrimack commit, is the top 2020 NHL Draft forward prospect in prep hockey. UConn commit Mark D’Agostino (North Branford, Conn.) and Providence commit Daniel Sambuco will be counted on to produce.
Departures have left some question marks in goal and on defense.
11. Thayer
The Tigers will be very young, but there is a lot of talent in Braintree. Northeastern commit Sasha Teleguine (North Attleboro, Mass.), Penn State commit Michael Stenberg (Needham, Mass.), and Boston University commit Nick Roukounakis (Pembroke, Mass.) are the leading returners. Joining them up front will be Joseph Kramer (Bridgewater, Mass.) and Peter Kramer (Bridgewater, Mass.), twins who were big time players in the MIAA with BC High. Both are committed to Providence. Forwards CJ Monturio (Weymouth, Mass.), Shane Taddia (Medford, Mass.), Joe Bennett (Cohasset, Mass.) and Zachary Glass (Weymouth, Mass.) are other notable forwards.
The defense will be a question mark with Jake Flynn (Milton, Mass.) moving onto UConn and Hayes transferring to Cushing. CJ Foley (Hanover, Mass.) and BC High transfer Declan Loughnane (Milton, Mass.) are the two biggest names on the blue line.
Gavin Fitzpatrick (Norwood, Mass.) is a veteran of prep hockey and should be more than adequate between the pipes.
12. Nobles
It wouldn’t surprise me if Nobles moved up this list. The team is led up front by Casey Severo, David Jacobs (Needham, Mass.) and Princeton commit Jack Cronin (Hamilton, Mass.) Providing secondary scoring will be Robert Lapsley (Needham, Mass.) and newcomers Ben MacDonald (Weston, Mass.) and Drew Haxton (Wakefield, R.I.)
The defense will have plenty of mobility in Aiden Lyons (Brookline, Mass.) and Colby Bailey (Southborough, Mass.). Also on the blue line are Pierce Kenney (Needham, Mass.) and Matt Tully (Foxboro, Mass.).
Goaltending should be solid with returners Marc Smith (Hanover, Mass.) and Robbie Repenning (Belmont, Mass.).
13. St. Mark’s
Defenseman Ian Moore (Concord, Mass.) leads the way for the Lions. The Harvard commit will likely be the first or second prep player taken in the 2020 NHL Draft. While he’s the main attraction, the team boasts more depth than in years past. Jackson Coutu (Upton, Mass.), Brendan Gibbons (South Kingstown, R.I.) and Danny Ciccarello all return up front. Tucker Hartmann (Southboro, Mass.), Mike Fisher (Westboro, Mass.) and Jake Oblak (Bolton, Mass.) are other key returners on defense.
Sophomore Eamon Connaughton and Dom Murphy (Worcester, Mass.) are back for a second season. Trevor O’Brien (Hingham, Mass.), Cam Sullivan (Westboro, Mass.) and Luke Sullivan (Westboro, Mass.) are the three key newcomers to watch.
Goaltending is the biggest area of concern entering the season.
14. Governor’s
Brian McGuirk is poised to have his alma mater in a much better position in year two behind the bench. The team will be led by forward and UMass Lowell commit Owen Fowler (Tewksbury, Mass.) and newcomer Massimo Gentile. On defense, Brendan Fitzgerald (North Reading, Mass.) is one of the top rookies in prep hockey after playing for the Islanders 16-U last season.
15. Hotchkiss
Boston College commit Henry Wilder (Needham, Mass.) is the backbone and will key the Bearcats’ success. Forwards Gavin Puskar and Karsen Dorwart are players to watch up front.
16. Exeter
The Big Red lost a lot and could struggle compared to the success Dana Barbin is used to. Forward Danny Colon and goaltender Ryan Welch (Swampscott, Mass.) are veterans and will lead the way. Two young players to watch are Kurt Gurkan (Darien, Conn.) and Charlie McGurrin (Marblehead, Mass.).
17. Rivers
The Red Wings will be led by their top line, pivoted by Yale commit Phil Tresca (Newton, Mass.). His wings will be Michael McEachern (Marblehead, Mass.) and Matty Cormier (Waltham, Mass.) Second line center Ziv Deener-Chodirker could be one of the most underrated players in the region. The defense has three veterans, led by Bentley commit Pat Lawn (Waltham, Mass.). Losing Brown commit Antonio Andreozzi (Winchester, Mass.) and BU commit Cade Webber will be tough. If Conor Sullivan (Westboro, Mass.) can play up to his potential in net, that could solidify a concern.
18. Brunswick
The Bruins lost a bunch of talent, including Davey to AOF, Ryan St. Louis (Riverside, Conn.) to the NTDP and Charles Shaffer (Greenwich, Conn.) to graduation. Three young forwards will stand out: Quinnipiac commit Matt McGroarty (Westport, Conn.), Andon Cerbone (Stamford, Conn.) and Connor Welsh (Greenwich, Conn.) Other key forwards will be Beanie Richter (Greenwich, Conn.) and James Shannon (Greenwich, Conn.).
19. New Hampton
Seniors Isaac MacLeod, a Dartmouth commit, and Marcus Joughin will lead the way offensively for the Huskies. Cole Hipkin and Mason Kesselring (New Hampton, N.H.) are two young players who could make an impact. On defense, Adam Shuchart, Steven Ardagna and Parker Schaarschmidt will lead the way. PG Robbie Farrell (Wilmington, Mass.) will push Andrew Sayles between the pipes.
20. Tabor
The Seawolves will be led by New Hampshire commit Morgan Winters. Jake Cady (Raynham, Mass.) and Connor Tobin (Sandwich, Mass.) will provide energy and leadership. Shane Lachance (Andover, Mass.) and Coleman Jenkins (Mansfield, Mass.) are two new forwards to watch.
21. Trinity-Pawling
The Pride lost a lot on defense, and Dartmouth commit Joey Musa graduated and is off to the BCHL. The top two returning players are forwards Jack Musa and Stephen Willey (Shelton, Conn.) John Gelatt and Taylor Ewing will provide the leadership assistance to Willey. The top rookie forward is Jared Mangan.
On defense, newcomer Frank Djurasevic is a uncommitted player who will find a home in Division I some day.
22. Holderness
If Holderness is to return to the Piatelli/Simmons Small School championship game, Tim Manning will need to carry the load offensively. Cooper Boulanger (Barre, Vt.), Carter Rose and Jake Waterman (Warwick, R.I.) are a few other key players.
23. Phillips Andover
Senior Charlie Archer will backstop the Big Blue in net while classmate Ray Galasso (Windham, N.H.) will be key on the blue line. The team has two young forwards with a lot of talent: William Hughes (Andover, Mass.) and Joey Zheng. Also, keep an eye on Arlington transfer Drew Malatesta (Arlington, Mass.).
24. Milton
Forwards Tyler Crist and Jeffrey Lee and defensemen Max Cassella and Will Van Der Veen (Duxbury, Mass.) are the top returners. Freshman Chris Romaine (Braintree, Mass.) will wow observers with his feet and puck-moving skills.
25. St. George’s
The Dragons have a lot of young talent and will be led offensively by returner Ben Jenkinson (Nantucket, Mass.) and Mike DiMascolo (Middletown, R.I.). The team has a lot of young talent in defenseman Ryan Buckley (Warwick, R.I.), Donovan Frias (Hudson, Mass.) and Matt Kursonis (West Boylston, Mass.).
On the bubble: Pomfret, Berkshire, Westminster, St. Paul’s
